


Smart’s Revenge

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Angst, Demons, F/M, Language, Revenge, Sex Jokes, Sexual innuendos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 11:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17424911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Paul Smart seeks revenge on the Ghostbusters after they exposed his Robo Buster scam. And his revenge begins with Janine.





	1. Paul’s Plot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul Smart plots revenge on the Ghostbusters.

It had been almost six months since the Ghostbusters exposed Paul Smart to be the crooked businessman that he was. Humiliated, he had left New York and tried to start over in Chicago. However, due to national news spreading the Robo Buster story, he was having a very difficult time getting investors to back his new venture. 

He was currently living off of his savings and what was left in his checking account. He was sitting in his living room looking out at the Chicago skyline with a glass of scotch in his hand. The loft apartment he was living in was quite comfortable but not as luxurious as his previous home in New York. 

“Those bastards are gonna pay for this,” he growled as he sat staring at the night sky. 

Just then, the lights flickered but didn’t go out. Paul sat up, startled from his thoughts. He felt a cold breeze blow across his neck. Paul glanced around the room, but all the windows were closed and no doors were open.

He heard a low growl behind him. Paul turned around quickly to see a dark, hooded figure standing before him. It was approximately six feet, eight inches tall. The only thing Paul could see of its body was a set of fiery red eyes.

Paul dropped his glass in horror, shattering on the wooden floor. “Who….WHAT...are you?!” He stuttered. 

“I am the one with the answer to your problems,” it said in a husky voice. “I know the ones who have wronged you. If you truly want revenge, i can help you.”

Paul’s eyes narrowed. “And I know exactly where to start…...hit that blonde physicist where I know it’ll hurt…..Ms. Melnitz,” he said with an evil glint in his eyes.

The next morning in New York, Peter was casually making his way to his office space downstairs. He stopped when he realized Janine wasn’t in yet. Peter looked at his watch. 

“Hmmm, eight-thirty. Hey, Egon! Did Janine call this morning?” Peter asked, wondering what might have caused her delay.

As Egon was hurrying downstairs, he looked at Peter confused.

“No, I haven’t heard from her,” Egon replied.

Peter looked at Egon with a mischievous grin. “Must’ve kept her up late last night?”

Egon gave Peter a cold stare, slightly blushing. “What we do during our personal lives has no effect on our professional lives.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. Ever since you two started dating four months ago, you’ve been spending a LOT of time at her place.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You must’ve REALLY worn her out last night!”

Egon shook his head, his cheeks blushing further. But he didn’t respond to Peter’s teasing. He simply walked towards the door leading downstairs to the basement. “I’m sure she’ll be in soon.”

Peter just chuckled, proud of himself for yet again being able to get the best of his friend.

Winston and Ray came down, having finished breakfast. 

“Where’s Janine?” Ray asked.

“Yeah, we’ve got a bust scheduled for 9:30,” Winston added. 

“Eh, Spengs says she’ll be in soon,” Peter said casually, sitting at Janine’s desk with his feet propped up on her desk, hands folded behind his head. “I think he may have worn her out a bit.”

“PETER!” Ray shouted.

“WHAT?!” Peter replied. “Come on Tex, we all know those two are doin it. They’ve been dating for four months. And he spends the nights half the time at her place. Whaddya think they’re doin? Playin bingo?”

Winston chuckled. “More like twister!” He gave Peter a sly wink. 

“Well, I think it’s great they’re finally together!” Ray said. “After all that crap with Paul Smart and Robo Buster, she was pretty upset about all of that. But at least it forced Egon to admit his feelings for her.”

Winston and Ray started getting their equipment ready for the call they had to go to. Egon returned from his check on the containment unit. Peter slowly got up, turning on the answering machine.

“Her ass better be here when we get back!” Peter said. 

“Perhaps we should call her apartment before we leave?” Egon asked. 

“Yeah, let her know I’m docking her pay. Just cause she’s shagging the boss don’t mean she can come in anytime she wants!” Peter teased.

Egon glared at Peter as he dialed Janine’s phone number. He let it ring several times. When her answering machine cut on, he left a quick message that they were leaving for their appointment and to call if she can’t come in.

As Ecto-1 pulled out, Egon couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“Oh, relax Big Guy,” Peter reassured him. “She probably just overslept and was in the shower.”

“Yeah, she’ll be sitting at her desk and reading a book by the time we get back,” Winston added.

Egon gave a faint smile but still had an uneasy feeling.

The call took a lot longer than the guys had planned. When they got there, they quickly realized that what was described to Janine as a “simple ghost” had actually turned out to be a powerful Class 5. By the time they got back to the Firehouse, it was nearly Noon.

As Winston parked Ecto-1 in the garage, they were all surprised to see that Janine still wasn’t at her desk. Egon quickly ran to her desk, the others following. He checked the answering machine, but there were no messages.

“Something’s wrong, I’m calling Janine,” Egon said worriedly.

The others stood by her desk as Egon made the call. Again, the answering machine cut on. He hung up, not leaving another message.

“We need to go over there!” Egon announced, obviously more than worried.

“Ok, let's get this trap taken care of and we’ll head on over,” Winston suggested.

A few short minutes later, they were back in Ecto headed towards Janine’s apartment in Brooklyn Heights. She didn’t answer when Egon knocked on the door so he produced a key which he used to unlock it.

“Ooh! Gotta a key, huh?” Peter teased. 

Winston and Ray smiled but Egon didn’t reply. He opened the door and quickly went inside. 

“Janine?” Egon shouted. 

The apartment looked as though it had been tossed. They all knew Janine would never allow her place to stay like this; something was definitely wrong. They spread out taking PKE readings throughout the apartment. 

“I’m picking up a faint Class 6 reading,” Egon said worriedly. 

“So whatever was here is gone?” Peter asked. 

Egon nodded. “Yes.” He sounded calm but Peter knew that look. He knew that Egon was extremely worried; they all were. 

They continued looking through the apartment, trying to find anything to give them a clue as to what had happened. Finally, some hope.

“Guys! In here!” Ray shouted from the living room.

The others quickly met back in the living room. 

“Whatcha got?” Peter asked.

“I’m not sure but it looks like a piece of cloth,” Ray said as he handed it to Egon. 

Egon studied the cloth carefully. He narrowed his eyes, turning it over and over in his hands. Then, he sniffed it. 

“Oh! Must be from Janine’s panties!” Peter quipped.

The others looked at Peter, mainly Egon. His glare alone was enough to wipe the smile off Peter’s face. 

“Just trying to loosen us up,” Peter whined.

“It appears to be from a garment of some kind. But I don’t recall Janine owning any items made from this,” Egon explained.

“Let’s get it back to the lab,” Ray suggested. 

They all agreed and headed back to the Firehouse. Egon immediately ran to the lab and placed the garment under the microscope. The others gathered around. 

“It seems to be from a cloak,” Egon said. Then, he looked more closely. “My god,” he muttered. He stood back to allow Ray to take a look.

“What is it?!” Peter asked impatiently.

Ray stepped back, a slight look of panic on his face. “If you look closely, you can see a small piece of her fingernail attached to the cloth.” 

Peter and Winston took turns looking through the microscope. 

“So someone took Janine by force?” Winston said. “Where do we start?”

Egon had a grim expression on his face. “She hasn’t been taken by someone; but by something.”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked warily.

“I smelled the cloth earlier; it smells faintly of sulfur,” Egon said. “A demon has taken her.”


	2. The Search Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys continue to track down Janine’s whereabouts.

Egon had spent all night in the lab desperately looking for more details to find Janine. Peter couldn’t sleep, so he got up and went to the lab.

“You need some rest, Big Guy,” he gently told Egon. “You’re not helping Janine by wearing yourself out.”

“I know but I’ve got to figure out where she’s been taken,” Egon said. 

“Well, What do we know?” Peter began to go through the facts. “She was taken by force. She obviously tried to fight back. It was a demon that took her. Are there any specific demons that wear cloaks?”

“I’ve thought about that,” Egon replied. “I have made a list of possibilities. Of those, I have narrowed it down to five that would have any possible reason to target her.”

Peter took the list that Egon handed to him. He read each one. 

“Amarion?” He asked Egon. 

“One of the many guardians of Hell; keeps condemned souls from escaping,” Egon explained.

“Lucinda?” 

“A demon that was, during her human life, rejected by men. She seeks revenge as a demon on people who deserve to be punished.”

“How’s that apply here? Janine isn’t deserving of that!” Peter argued.

“I’m not saying she is. This is just a demon that wears a cloak and may be somehow connected,” Egon said.

“Ok, let’s put this one at the bottom of the list,” Peter suggested. He took a pen and changed the numbers Egon had written by each name. 

Peter continued to read the list. “Percion?”

“Affectionately known as the king of liars,” Egon said. “A demon that promises its victims power and success if they sell him their souls.”

“Lemme guess: he gets their souls and finds a loophole to break his promise?” Peter asked.

“Precisely,” Egon replied. “Not one I really suspect, but he does wear a cloak.”

“Searilus?”

“A winged demon that searches the earth for people who are depressed. It feeds from their negative emotions and eventually, drains them of their very souls.”

“Hmm, Ok. Again, on the list because of a cloak?” Peter asked, not seeing this as a potential demon they’d be looking for. 

Egon simply nodded.

Peter looked at the last name on the list. “Omarion?”

Egon’s eyes darkened. “A demon who helps humans get revenge on others.”

“What’s the demon get outta the deal? You know these things don’t give freebies,” Peter asked.

“Once proper revenge has been dealt with, the demon takes the soul of that person who sought revenge,” Egon said.

“So, the person gets what they want, but in the end, they lose?” Peter asked.

“Yes. I’m sure that rule isn’t established from the beginning,” Egon explained. “Otherwise, the deal would never be made. My theory is the person seeking revenge is so bent on getting what they want, they do not consider the consequences.”

Peter laid down the paper and sat back in the chair. “So, who do we know that would do this? My bet is on this last demon.”

Ray and Winston had joined Peter and Egon in the lab halfway through the explanation of demons on the list.

“We don’t really have enemies, do we?” Ray asked anxiously.

“Other than every city official, Dean Yager and half the staff at the university, and a containment unit full of nasties….Nah, we don’t have any enemies,” Peter teased.

“You forgot Peck,” Winston chimed in.

“And that blonde from last week,” Ray added smiling.

Peter stuck out his tongue on the last one. They continued to think, racking their brains for anyone or anything that might want to seek them out.

Winston spoke up. “I’ve got an idea but you’re not gonna like it.”

The others looked at him. 

“Paul Smart?” Ray asked.

Winston nodded. “He’s the most recent real problem we’ve had.”

“Yeah, and we did piss him off pretty good before he got laughed out of town,” Peter added.

Egon’s eyes darkened even more. “It would make sense. If he’s hurt her….,”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Peter jumped in. “He wants us, not her. He’s probably using her as bait.”

“Which is why we need to get a game plan together first,” Winston urged. 

“Yeah, if we go barging in, who knows what we’ll walk into,” Ray said.

“But the question is: where is she?” Egon asked urgently. “Is she still somewhere in New York or has he taken her off to another city?”

“And what's he doing teaming up with a demon?!” Ray asked.

“Where did he go after the Robo Buster thing?” Winston asked.

“I think I saw on the news a while back that he was trying to get a business going in Chicago?” Ray said.

“Would he have taken her back there?” Egon asked.

“One way to find out,” Peter said as he picked up the phone in the lab. “Operator? Number for Paul Smart, Chicago, please.”

He wrote down the number and hung up. Peter turned to Egon. “Do you want to make the call or should I?”


	3. The Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys contact Paul Smart for details of Janine’s whereabouts.

Egon took the slip of paper from Peter. He took a deep breath to steel himself, then dialed the number. It rang three times before an answer.

“May I help you?” a man’s voice said calmly.

“This is Dr. Egon Spengler,” he said, his heart pounding.

“Yes, the Ghostbuster! What can I do for you?” Paul asked smugly.

“You know damn well what you can do!” Egon lost it. 

Peter grabbed the phone from Egon, taking control of the conversation. “Hi there, Dr. Peter Venkman here.”

“You need to get your business partner under better control!” Paul demanded.

“Yeah, he’s a bit on edge. Actually, we all are. I think you can help with that.”

“Oh really?” Paul replied.

“Yeah. Where’s Janine?” Peter urged.

“What makes you think I know where she is? The woman is a bit flakey.” Paul taunted.

Winston could see the veins on Peter’s temples stand out. 

“Cut the bullshit! Tell me now what’s going on! Is she ok?!” Peter yelled.

“I’m sure the entire team is there so why don’t we start by putting the call on speaker?” Paul said.

Peter did, then continued. “Ok. Now answer the damn question!”

“Yes, she’s fine…..for the moment. Her future state of health depends on you four,” Paul said, again calm.

“What have you done?! Where is SHE?!” Egon demanded.

“My, my, Dr. Spengler, you’re awfully upset over her. She’s just a secretary,” Paul taunted. “And not a very reliable one. It’s quite easy for anyone to walk in and get whatever information they want.”

“That’s a lie!” Ray screamed.

“What do you want from us?” Winston asked, stepping in to regain control of the conversation. 

“It’s simple,” Paul said. “I want you four to admit that you sabotaged my business and ruined my reputation.”

“We didn’t!” Ray screamed again. 

Winston placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Why would we do that? Everybody saw what happened for themselves.”

“Admit that you sabotaged my business so I can try to salvage what’s left of my reputation. Then, perhaps my investors will be more inclined to back my new proposition. Oh, and as a backup plan, sign over a third of your company to me,” Paul said.

“Now you’re fucking delirious!” Peter yelled. 

“Then, I will let Ms. Melnitz know that you all failed her before I put a bullet in her head,” Paul said, a dark tone to his voice.

“NO YOU BASTARD!” Egon screamed, practically knocking the phone off the table.

Winston grabbed the phone before the call got disconnected. “Why don’t we meet face to face to discuss the details?”

“Now, you’re beginning to understand how this works,” Paul said, his voice dripping with evil.

“But bring Janine with you. We need to see for ourselves that she’s ok,” Winston added. 

“Of course,” Paul agreed. “Meet me at Millenium Park in Chicago, tomorrow evening at six. I’ll have Ms. Melnitz with me.”

“We’ll be there,” Winston said. The call then disconnected as Paul ended the conversation.

Peter, Egon and Ray were regaining their composure. 

“Way to go holding it together, Zed,” Peter said, patting Winston on the shoulder. “Glad you kept a calm head.”

Winston smiled. “Years of practice.”

“Ok, let’s get our stuff together,” Peter said. 

“Are we taking our packs, too?” Ray asked.

“Damn right we are!” Winston confirmed. “There’s a demon behind all of this; yeah, we’re taking the packs!”

Peter headed downstairs. “I’ll get my gun,” he said casually.

“Do you really think that’s necessary?!” Ray said, shocked.

Peter gave them all a very serious look. “We’re taking the packs to handle the demon with. Since we can’t use those on a human, we’d better take something we can use - just in case.”

He then focused his gaze on Egon, as if to ask his permission to take the gun. Egon nodded, his eyes dark with anger. 

They all split up to start packing. Peter came into the bunk room where Egon was packing a few clothes for the trip. He looked up just as Peter was putting the gun in his bag. 

“Do you really plan on using that?” He asked worriedly.

“I hope I won’t have to, but I’d rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” Peter replied.

Egon smiled evilly. “We could just use the packs,” he taunted. 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Damn, Spengs! Never thought you’d break your own rule!”

Egon’s eyes darkened again. “I never had a reason to before.” He took a deep breath, trying to relax. “If anything has happened to her….,”

“I know. Don’t worry...he will pay,” Peter said, his eyes narrowing. 

Both men finished packing in silence.


	4. Chicago Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys travel to Chicago for the big showdown.

The Ghostbusters were on their way to Chicago to meet up with Paul Smart and hopefully retrieve Janine. They were bringing with them the proton packs and usual equipment when on a busting call. They had also brought Janine’s jumpsuit just in case she was able to help. The guys had every intention of catching this demon while rescuing Janine. 

“Do you think she’s ok?” Ray asked, worried that something may have happened to Janine.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Winston said trying to keep the team optimistic.

Egon had been tinkering with his PKE meter since they’d left the Firehouse.

“We’ll know if she’s in the vicinity,” Egon said. “I’ve completed reconfiguring the PKE meter to pick up Janine’s biorhythms. Assuming he actually does bring her to the park, I’ll know if she’s safe.”

“For his sake, that bastard better not have hurt her,” Peter said angrily. “Or he’ll find out what a proton stream tastes like.”

“Don’t give Egon any ideas,” Winston teased.

“Ha! It was Egon’s idea to begin with!” Peter laughed.

Winston glanced at Egon in the rear view mirror only to see the look of pure hatred in his eyes. “We might need to start limiting your time in the lab, Man! You’re starting to let those soldering fumes get to you!”

“Nah, he’s just in love,” Peter drawled, trying to tease Egon. 

“Yes, and if he’s hurt her, I will not be merciful,” Egon replied, a little too calmly.

They arrived in Chicago with two hours to spare. 

“Should we get a hotel room?” Ray asked. 

“Yeah, I made reservations before we left New York,” Winston said. “We’ve got time to get checked in before we need to get to the park.”

Another twenty minutes, and Winston had found the hotel and checked them in. Egon anxiously paced around the room. 

“You’ve gotta calm down, man,” Winston said. “You’re not gonna help her by worrying yourself to death.”

“I know. I just hope this plan works,” Egon said.

“It’ll work, and there’s always Plan B,” Peter said, patting the pistol he had secured in his waistband underneath his jumpsuit. 

Finally, it was time to meet Paul at the park. They had worn their full ghostbusting gear. Egon checked his PKE meter.

“Anything yet?” Peter asked anxiously. 

“Not yet….wait! I’m getting something!” Egon said excitedly. Then, his expression changed to worried, then morphed into fear. 

“What is it?!” Ray asked nervously.

“It’s Janine’s biorhythm but….extremely weak,” Egon said, his voice shaking.

They looked up to see Paul walking towards them. There was also a shadowy figure following. As the two approached closer, they could see that the shadowy figure was wearing a cloak and was carrying something. 

Egon’s stomach churned as he feared to see what the figure was carrying. 

“Gentlemen,” Paul greeted the Busters coldly.

“Where’s Janine?!” Egon yelled.

Just then, the shadowy figure came closer; the guys were then able to see the demon’s eyes glowing. It laid Janine down on the ground a few yards away from where they stood. 

She was unconscious but alive. Her biorhythms were very weak, which caused Egon to almost emotionally unravel. 

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!” Egon demanded.

The shadowy figure spoke: “She is in a state of suspended animation. That is why your equipment shows her as being weak. But I assure you, she is not weak. Hence, the reason I placed her in this state. The woman would not stop fighting!”

The guys couldn’t help but grin. “Atta girl,” Peter said softly. 

“The reason we’re here,” Paul stated, clearly annoyed. He wanted to get straight to business.

“Yes, hand over Janine,” Winston urged.

“Not so fast,” Paul retorted. “First, I have a recorder here to get your admission to sabotaging my business. Second, I want your signatures on this document I had drawn up, giving me a third of your company.” He pulled out the document; it was in a sealed envelope in his coat pocket.

“Like Hell we will!” Peter said. “LIGHT EM UP!” He instructed. 

In seconds, the proton packs roared to life. 

“You FOOL!” the demon shouted at Paul. “I told you they would never agree to this!”

Egon lunged forward to grab Janine, but the demon snapped his fingers. In an instant, both the demon and Janine transformed into a stream of dark smoke. It drifted very quickly towards a nearby construction site. 

The guys ran, following the smoke. When they reached the site, they heard Janine scream: “NO! IT’S A TRAP!”

There was no need for debate; without hesitation, the Busters cautiously entered the site, moving slowly. Egon led the way. Since Janine was now out of suspended animation, his PKE meter was picking up her biorhythms. The meter led them to a part of the building on the site that was mostly finished. They decided to split up hoping to surround the demon. 

Paul had followed them to the construction site. He was still determined to get what he wanted. As he slowly entered the site, he followed the sounds of the proton packs and the Ghostbusters firing their weapons. He walked into the main area where the action was taking place. He saw the guys spread out around the room firing on the demon. Janine was nowhere to be seen. 

Suddenly, Paul watched in horror as the shadowy figure transformed before his very eyes, revealing it’s true form. The cloak fell to the floor as the figure materialized into a gigantic beast, towering above them at nearly nine feet tall. It’s body looked similar to a giant lizard with scales and a long tail. It’s hands had turned into reptilian feet with long, sharp claws. It turned to face the Busters and let out a thunderous roar, almost like that of a lion.

“Increase power!” Peter ordered. 

The throwers fires on the beast again at full power. It didn’t defeat the demon, but it was enough to throw it slightly off balance.

Paul’s face paled. He had never seen anything like this and was terrified beyond reason. His plan for revenge had disappeared, along with his grasp on reality. 

Just then, Janine came running into the area. She had gotten away and ran back to Ecto-1, grabbing another proton pack and ghost trap. She had also changed into her jumpsuit that the guys had brought. 

She ran past Paul, positioning herself behind the demon, diagonally across from Egon’s position. She had strapped on her pack and began firing. The others fired again. They managed to capture the demon in the streams. As Peter was preparing to throw out the trap, Paul lunged at him, knocking him down.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?!” He yelled at Paul.

The two tussled back and forth as the rest of the team struggled to keep the demon held. But with the loss of Peter’s stream, they weren’t powerful enough to hold it. The demon swung its tail towards Janine. She tried to jump out of reach, but the demon’s tail struck her on the back, damaging her pack. She quickly unstrapped it and turned it off before it could overheat.

The demon’s attention was now focused on the Ghostbusters. 

Janine searched frantically for a way to help the guys. The demon had them cornered. Their proton packs were useful but they needed an extra hand for the trap, especially since Peter was still fighting with Paul.

“A distraction,” she thought. 

So, Janine darted out from behind the crates where she had retreated. She grabbed the trap she had hooked to her jumpsuit belt. As Janine ran at full speed towards the demon, the guys prepared to fire. Janine slid the trap into place. 

“Trap out!” She yelled. 

The demon turned to see her running towards him. He smiled, licking his lips for the blood he was about to taste. 

“FIRE!” Winston shouted. 

All four streams fired at the demon, but he was able to block them with a bolt of blue energy. It acted as a force field. 

“Damn!” Winston shouted. 

“Again, full power!” Egon yelled. 

Janine was holding her ground, taunting the demon to keep him distracted. “Come on, ya big blow hard! Come and get me!”

Just as the guys were about to fire, the demon made an unpredictable move and lunged towards the guys. They fired but again, the demon blocked the streams. Suddenly, he spotted Egon who was trying to readjust the polarity of his thrower to increase its power.

“EGON!” Janine screamed. She ran towards the demon, jumping on his back and punching at his head as hard as she could. 

The demon squealed, then reached for Janine. 

“Blast him!” Winston said. 

“We might hit Janine!” Ray shouted. 

Egon had completed his adjustment and looked at Ray. “Concentrate the streams at his back behind her!”

They did and as the streams hit the demon, he threw Janine through the air, hissing in pain.

Janine landed hard against some crates, but she appeared to be ok. She composed herself and launched herself again at the demon.

Paul had managed to find Peter’s pistol during their struggle. Peter used his foot to push Paul backwards, off of him. Peter quickly regained composure and prepared to fire again at the demon. 

As Peter gave another order to fire again, Paul stood, aiming the gun at Egon. Janine saw him and, in an effort to protect him, ran towards Egon, pushing him out of the line of fire.

“EGON!” She screamed as they heard the gunshot even above the sound of the streams firing on the demon.

As she pushed Egon down, Winston saw the bullet graze Janine’s lower back on the right side. He launched himself onto Paul, effectively taking him down to the ground. He knocked the gun out of Paul’s hand. Winston stood, seeing that Paul was no longer a threat. 

Paul cowered into the corner of the room, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging his arms around them. He slowly rocked back and forth, his eyes staring blankly ahead. He softly mumbled to himself, “this can’t be real, this can’t be real.”

Janine had picked up a metal rod that had been laying on the floor. It was jagged on one end. She hadn’t realized yet that she had been grazed by the bullet. Her adrenaline was pumping so hard, she couldn’t feel anything. Janine impaled the demon’s back leg, causing him to squeal out again. 

This time, the demon slashed at Janine with his claws as she tried to stab another rod through him. She managed to stab him in the side, but fell to the floor a few yards away. As she knelt on her hands and knees catching her breath, the Busters fired again. This time they caught the demon in the streams. 

Ray ran to the trap Janine had thrown out earlier. “Trap ready!”

“Let’s get this bastard!” Peter yelled.

They brought the demon down into the trap; Ray closed it to seal him in. 

They then rushed to Janine, Egon getting to her first. 

“Janine! Are you ok?” He asked, carefully holding her by the shoulders and helping her sit upright.

“I don’t think so,” she replied weakly. 

They could then see that she had a deep gash torn across her stomach. Her hand was covered in blood. Winston unzipped her jumpsuit; they were sickened at the sight. 

The gash was almost from one side to the other. Blood was pumping out quickly. Janine’s face had paled considerably. 

“We need to get her out of here,” Winston said calmly. He hadn’t seen a wound this bad since his Vietnam days. 

Peter helped Egon get her situated in the car. Winston had grabbed the trap and their equipment while Ray helped guide Paul to the car. Winston started Ecto-1 as they piled in. 

As they sped towards the nearest hospital, Janine looked up at Egon as he cradled her in his arms. 

“You guys have to take care of each other,” she said weakly. 

“What do you mean, Big J? We’ve got you for that,” Peter replied nervously.

“I won’t always be there,” she said. 

“Please don’t talk that way,” Egon pleaded, tears threatening to fall. 

Janine smiled as she slowly slipped out of consciousness. Peter checked her wrist for a pulse. 

“It’s weak,” he whispered to Egon. 

Within minutes, they arrived at the hospital. Janine was quickly taken to the OR for surgery. Paul was escorted by two other nurses to the psych ward.

While they waited, Egon paced the floor of the waiting room nervously. The others just exchanged worries glances. Peter finally decided to step in and talk to him.

“She’s gonna be ok. This is Janine; she’s tough. She’s had close calls like this before,” Peter reassured Egon. 

“I should have done more, I should have been there for her!” he replied, his voice rising in anger.

“You did all you could,” Peter replied.

Egon looked at him, his eyes glaring. “You don’t understand! I should have stepped up for her a long time ago! And now it may be too late!” He then stormed off across the room staring out the window. Peter could see Egon’s jaw tightened from where he stood.

The doctor finally came into the waiting room. The Ghostbusters jumped out of their seats, bracing themselves for whatever news they were about to get. 

“She’s out of surgery, but there were a few complications,” the doctor began. “Her blood pressure was difficult to stabilize. And she hemorrhaged during surgery. Once we got the bleeding under control, her blood pressure bottomed out again. We….we lost her for a few moments.”

Egon almost collapsed by that point. Ray had started to cry while Winston maintained a strong outward appearance. But inside he felt like he was dying. Peter was next to Egon, trying to help support his weight. 

The doctor continued. “Once we revived her, we were able to completely seal off the bleeding and her blood pressure started coming back up. It’s still not where I want it so she’ll be in ICU for a while. It seems that she also suffered from what looks like a graze from a bullet?.”

“Yes, the guy we brought in with us had attempted to shoot us, but she stepped in,” Winston said.

“You can speak to the police about filing charges,” the doctor instructed.

“Seeing as he’s gone completely bonkers, I don’t see where that’ll be necessary,” Peter replied. He couldn’t help but grin slightly.

“Can we see her?” Egon choked out the words.

“Yes, But keep the visits short,” the doctor instructed. 

A nurse showed them to Janine’s room. She was hooked up to IV fluids and medications, an oxygen cánula was in her nose, a blood pressure cuff attached to her arm, and her heart rate was being monitored. She was asleep, looking very peaceful.

They crowded around her bed, each silently praying that she would be strong enough to pull through. After ten minutes, the nurse stepped in.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to leave now. Let her rest.”

They all nodded and all but Egon headed to the door. Winston, Peter and Ray turned to see Egon still by her bedside, holding her hand. “I’ll be there in a minute; I just want to say good night,” he told them. 

Ray was the last one out so he closed the door behind him. Egon looked at Janine as she lay there. There seemed to be almost no life in her. 

“I wanted this to be more romantic but under the circumstances, I think this will do,” he said quietly to Janine. 

He reached into his inside jumpsuit pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. 

As he placed the ring on her left ring finger, Egon leaned down and brushed a tender kiss on her lips. 

“I love you, Janine Melnitz. Please wake up so you can marry me,” he whispered as tears streamed down his face.


	5. Perfect Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon and Janine Plan their future together.

Egon joined the others in the waiting area. Winston had gotten coffee for everyone. They all watched Egon carefully. He was uncharacteristically quiet. He wasn’t even drinking his coffee; he was just sitting there staring straight ahead.

Peter slid over to sit next to him. “What’s on your mind, Big Guy?”

“That she’s not going to come back from this,” Egon whispered. 

Peter reached over and grabbed his arm. “Don’t think that way. She’s gonna pull through.”

Egon looked directly at Peter. “I’ve never seen her so fragile. She’s been through a lot the last several months.”

“She just needs time to get well,” Peter reassured him. “She’ll bounce back.”

“I’ve taken steps to reassure her that things will be different,” Egon confided.

“Whaddya mean by that?” Peter asked, obviously confused. Then his eyes widened. “Oh shit! Is she pregnant?!”

“NO!” Egon said, motioning for Peter to keep his voice down. “At least, not yet.” He smiled.

Just then, the nurse came over to alert them that Janine was showing signs of waking up. They were on their way to the room when they heard a distinct, high pitched squeal. 

“EGON!!! YES! YES! YES!”

They literally ran at full speed, afraid something bad had happened. As they reached the doorway, Janine was sitting up in the bed, the nurse frantically trying to get her to calm down.

“Ms. Melnitz, please...settle down. Everything’s gonna be alright,” the nurse urged.

“I’ll say it is!” Janine shouted very enthusiastically. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Egon. 

He walked over to the bed, kissing her gently on the cheek. The others filed in, gathering around the bed as well. They were quite confused; obviously Egon and Janine were in on an inside joke of some kind.

Then Peter saw the ring on Janine’s finger. “HOLY SHIT!! Spengs!! You sly dog, you!” He jumped up and gave Egon a playful punch on the shoulder. 

Janine energetically showed them all the ring. “I woke up and saw it. I couldn’t believe it! I thought I was dreaming!”

Peter leaned over to Janine, giving her a playful grin. “And you automatically assumed it was Egon?”

Janine smirked back. “Who else would it be?”

Peter leaned in closer. “It could’ve been...me?”

Janine mocked like she was going to gag. “Please….there’s not enough liquor on the planet to make me agree to THAT!” 

They all laughed. Janine grimaced, grabbing her lower abdomen. “Oh damn! I can’t laugh yet!”

The guys got serious. “What all do you remember?” Winston asked.

Janine frowned as she recalled the events. “Well, there was a loud knock on my apartment door. Before I could open the door, a cloud of dark smoke appeared, then it turned into a shadow with a long cloak. It grabbed me and I tried to fight back. But it was really strong. I managed to rip a piece of the cloak and dropped it, hoping you guys would eventually come looking for me. I figured you’d be able to put things together using the cloth.”

“Great job! We did!” Ray said. “But what happened in the apartment? Everything was thrown everywhere!”

“It chased me around the room, knocking furniture over. I threw a few things at it, but it didn’t help. The next thing I knew, i was lying in a room that i later realized was Paul’s apartment in Chicago. I couldn’t move but i could see and hear everything.”

Egon’s temper started to flare again at the mention of Janine being held captive in Paul’s apartment. The others could see his jaws clenched. 

“Excuse me for a few moments,” he said sternly. He leaned over and kissed Janine on the lips. 

As he left the room, Peter ran after him. “Hang on there, Big Guy. Where do you think you’re going?”

“All of this is HIS fault! And he tried to shoot me! He DID shoot Janine!” Egon said angrily.

“Keep your voice down!” Peter pleaded. “The bullet grazed her; no damage done! The demon is what did the real damage! And we got it!”

“I still need closure,” Egon said. He continued to the elevator, pushing the button to take him to the psych ward floor. Peter tagged along.

Egon located the room Paul was in and headed for it, a cold look of determination in his eyes.

Paul was standing at the window, looking outside. When Egon and Peter entered, he turned to face them. He had suffered a nervous breakdown and was likely going to be committed to an asylum. He looked at the two men as if they were total strangers.

Egon walked quickly over to him, Peter close behind him. Egon grabbed Paul by the collar of his hospital gown and pulled him up to his face.

“How DARE you try to harm her!” 

Paul panicked. “Who are you?! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Egon let go of him, releasing him back to the floor. Peter relaxed. Then, Egon swiftly served a hard right hook to Paul’s face, breaking his nose and busting his bottom lip. 

Peter pulled Egon away as Paul screamed out in pain, grabbing his nose. 

The nurse came rushing in along with a doctor.

“Mr. Smart! What in the world…..,” the doctor said.

Before Egon could explain, Peter jumped in. “We were here visiting our friend. I guess he got a little overly excited and tripped over the foot of the bed!” He laughed to make it look convincing. 

Egon wisely hid his right hand behind him to keep the nurse and doctor from seeing his bruised knuckles.

“Well, I’m afraid this visit is over!” the nurse said, dismissing the two men. She then rushed over to Paul to start administering first aid.

Peter pulled Egon by the shirt sleeve, leaving the ward as quickly as possible. Once inside the elevator, he unleashed. 

“Feel better now?!” He shouted.

Egon smiled, quite pleased with himself. “Actually, Yes, i am.”

Peter rolled his eyes and grinned. “Guess you’ve got closure now?” 

“Yes, I do,” Egon replied, still smiling.

Peter stopped, grabbing Egon’s arm before they reached Janine’s room.

“Egon, do we need to check and make sure Janine wasn’t…...assaulted...during her time of being captured?” Peter asked cautiously.

Egon’s face paled. “I hadn’t considered that. I don’t know. I wouldn’t have thought he would have done that, but who knows?”

“I’ll talk to her privately to be sure,” Peter offered.

Egon nodded. “Thank you.”

Peter just responded with a quick wink, then they entered her room. Janine immediately noticed the bruises on Egon’s hand.

“Egon! What the hell happened?” she almost yelled.

“I….ahhh…. paid Mr. Smart a little visit…,” Egon admitted sheepishly.

Janine smiled mischievously, inwardly thrilled that her man defended her honor. “Glad to hear it.”

Peter exchanged a look with Ray and Winston, signaling that he needed some time alone with Janine. They knew the look well. Peter always took time with each of them privately to discuss any issues after a difficult bust. They excused themselves, exiting the room.

Egon looked at Peter, silently questioning whether he should stay. 

Janine took a deep breath; she knew that look too and prepared herself for the debriefing/counseling. 

“Do you want Egon to stay?” Peter asked her.

Janine simply nodded.

Peter took a seat in the chair closest to the bed while Egon sat down on the edge of the bed, holding her hand.

“Janine,” Peter began, his voice soft yet serious. “I’ll get straight to the point. Do you remember whether that bastard did anything to you? During the time that you were awake but couldn’t move?”

“No, he didn’t. I assume you’re talking about sex?” Janine replied.

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure he didn’t….,” Peter couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“He didn’t. He never even tried during the time we were dating,” she admitted. “Not that I would have. I just wasn’t….attracted to him that way. And he didn’t seem to be attracted to me that way either. He just wanted the business secrets.”

“You weren’t exhibiting any of the classic signs of that having been done; I just wanted to be sure,” Peter said.

“I know, and thanks,” Janine said, reaching for Peter’s hand. 

He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze as he stood. “Well, I’m gonna let you two have some time alone,” he said, giving Janine a quick wink.

After Peter left, Egon leaned over and kissed Janine on the lips. He sat back and smiled. “So, I guess we need to pick a date?”

Janine’s face glowed. “Why did you do it while I was out?”

“I was afraid I wouldn’t get the chance,” Egon admitted sadly. 

She smiled. “How long have you been carrying this ring around with you?”

“Two weeks; I was waiting for the right moment. But then this happened…,” Egon trailed off, trying not to think about what almost happened.

Janine squeezed his hand. “It’s ok. We’re together now and nothing will ever change that.”

Four days later, Janine was released from the hospital. Most of the stitches used on closing the wound across her abdomen would dissolve. However, the others would need to be removed next week. The guys helped her up to the apartment. 

“Jeez, why did I pick the one on the third floor?!” She whined as Egon unlocked the door.

“That’s the least of your worries! If I were you, I’d be more concerned about those stitches!” Peter teased.

“Ha, ha,” Janine smirked. “It’s only part way across. The rest were just superficial scratches.”

Winston, Peter and Ray made sure Janine was settled in then left to return to the Firehouse. Egon stayed with Janine. 

“Hey Pete, you did get your gun back, right?” Winston asked.

“Yep! I don’t think anything will come of it since the big idiot lost his marbles,” Peter replied. 

“You could always say you carry it as a precaution,” Ray chimed in.

“I just wanted to make sure you got it back,” Winston said.

***************************  
The following week, Janine had healed enough to return to work on light duty. Egon had made plans to take her out that Friday after work.

It was a clear, warm night; spring wasn’t far away. Egon suggested they walk through the park after dinner. Janine agreed, holding Egon’s hand as they walked. 

They came to a small wooden bridge crossing over a stream that ran through the park. Egon and Janine stopped on the bridge to take in the romantic view of the moon shining across the water. 

“Ohhh, Egon! This is so beautiful!” Janine cooed.

“Yes, it is,” Egon said, looking down at Janine. 

Egon turned to face Janine, taking her hands in his. Janine slightly turned to look at him directly. She was anticipating a kiss since the moment was perfect. 

Instead, Egon spoke. “I was so afraid I had lost you last week. I love you Janine, and I could never see myself going through the rest of my life without you.” As he spoke, he was gently slipping the ring off her left hand.

He then knelt on one knee, holding the ring up to Janine. “Which is why I want you to be by my side always. Janine, will you marry me?” 

Janine burst into tears, happy tears. “Oh Egon!! YES! Of course I’ll marry you!” 

Egon stood, sliding the ring back on her left hand. They embraced, kissing deeply. 

Janine smiled as they broke away. “You said you were waiting for the right moment!”

“I did,” Egon said. “I hope this was a much more romantic setting?”

“Oh, it’s perfect!” she purred.


End file.
